TikTok Hit By €10 Million Italian Fine For ‘French Scar’ Game

TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. was fined €10 million ($10.9 million) by the Italian competition authority, for failing to protect the safety of children and vulnerable people from a dangerous viral game known as the French scar challenge.

The Italian antitrust regulator said on Tuesday that TikTok’s Irish, British and Italian branches failed to protect users from such harmful games, which involves pinching your cheek hard enough to leave a bruise on your cheekbone. The watchdog said the viral challenge threatens the “psycho-physical safety of users.” It has been investigating TikTok’s alleged failure to clampdown on harmful content since March 2023. ...